Brake question: First week of commute :)

[Ana]

So I just completed my first week of commuting (omg, love :)). Wow, I wish I had a t-shirt that says "use your turn signal" :p

Anyway, I have been fortunate enough to have very fair weather so far. I'm concerned about the rainy weather though since I don't have disc brakes.... I have ridden in the rain before but never more than 1 mile and on busier streets, and general find them to be undesirably slippery. Any tips/advice about using my caliper brakes or needing disc brakes in rain?

Thanks!!

[VeloVT]

Do I remember correctly that you are on a MTB? Or was it more of a hybrid? I remember that it's black and sleek-looking!

Do you have caliper brakes (like on your road bike) or canti brakes? I'm not actually sure which is better in the rain, but generally I think cantis are a little more powerful, so if you have them (as I suspect you might), that should give you an added measure of confidence.

I have ridden my bike with cantis in the rain quite a few times, as well as in sloppy wet snowy conditions. They work well enough to be safe. The big thing to remember is that wet rims will take longer to stop because there is less friction -- so just allow yourself about twice as much room to stop -- that is, start braking with about twice the distance you normally would. And be a little more conservative in how close you ride to the car in front of you if you are taking the lane (though as I'm sure you've discovered this is a fine line, you have to stay close enough that the car behind you really believes that there isn't room for it to pass you).

Some brake pads are better than others in the rain. The ones that came stock on my bike seem to melt :eek:. Which reminds me -- if you do a LOT of riding in the rain, make sure you periodically check your rims and your pads, if you have pads that don't hold up to water very well, your rims can get coated in brake-pad residue and/or your pads can become glazed. Either condition will cause poor braking. But fortunately cleaning your rims and/or sanding the pads lightly will fix the problem.

Edit: just looked at your bike on the commuter thread and it looks like you do indeed have cantilever brakes (not calipers), fwiw. I don't know that it makes much difference in the rain per se, but like I said, cantis are a bit more powerful, so all the better.

[mimitabby]

i have ridden in the rain year round with standard brakes. When I got my bike last year, I asked for the special pinkish colored ones that are supposed to be sticky in the rain but they didn't put them on.

So no disc brakes, and regular pads. I'm doing just fine.
Unless you're going down hills at 30+ mph in the rain i think you'll be fine with what you have.

[KnottedYet]

Mimi - were you going to get salmon Kool-Stops? I'm thinking of getting those next time I need brake pads. Meanwhile, I've been riding in the rain here for 30 years on plain ol' brake pads and plain ol' brakes, too.

[Ana]

Oooh, this is most helpful in boosting my confidence in my regular brakes :) Yes, I'm riding a mountain frame--an old Trek 830 and I love it :)

I think I just have the regular brake pads...I can only distinguish between pad brakes and disc brakes for now ;)

I think I'll just stick to what I've got unless I feel unsafe at some point :)

Thanks for your input!!!! :D

[mimitabby]

Mimi - were you going to get salmon Kool-Stops? I'm thinking of getting those next time I need brake pads. Meanwhile, I've been riding in the rain here for 30 years on plain ol' brake pads and plain ol' brakes, too.

yes that's what they are.

and both Knot and i live in the rain forest here, the Pacific Northwest....

[Veronica]

I usually get the salmon kool stops for the winter here. I think they make a difference.

V.

[PscyclePath]

Anyway, I have been fortunate enough to have very fair weather so far. I'm concerned about the rainy weather though since I don't have disc brakes.... I have ridden in the rain before but never more than 1 mile and on busier streets, and general find them to be undesirably slippery. Any tips/advice about using my caliper brakes or needing disc brakes in rain?

Thanks!!

Riding in the rain is a lot like driving a vehicle in some cases... When your wheel rims are wet, the brake pads won't be as quick or efficient stopping, so plan ahead and feather your brakes a bit to "squeegee" off the water before you hit them hard. Likewise, you won't have quite as much traction on the pavement so your stopping distance will be a bit longer.

One suggestion is to get out in an open parking lot somewhere when it's wet, and play with your bike a little bit to see just how long it takes you to stop using front, back, or both brakes, to do an emergency stop, how much traction you have, what you can get away with, etc... This is good stuff to know and practice from time to time.

[Trek420]

+1 on what they all sed.

Riding through puddles can be fun but I scoot around them. Puddles can hide stuff like potholes.

When it starts to rain the road is slick with oil debris. Paint can be especially slippery. Don't ride ON the bike lane if you can help it.